The recent killings of three Hindu individuals in separate incidents across Chittagong and Kurigram have deepened grave concerns over the persistent vulnerability of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority to extortion, targeted violence, and land-related aggressionโeven under the current political dispensation.
In Chittagong, two tragic deaths occurred within days, both involving Hindu victims allegedly resisting criminal demands. On Wednesday night, February 25, 2026, in the Alankar area (near Sagorika Bitak Bazar), 30-year-old Akash Dasโa toy factory worker and son of local resident Babul Dasโwas stabbed to death.
According to family, coworkers, and eyewitnesses, a group long involved in extorting money from factory labourers had targeted the site. Akash had previously protested these demands, heightening tensions. That night, while returning to work after dinner, he intervened to stop the assault on a colleague (Michael), only to be struck on the head with a helmet and repeatedly stabbed.
He was rushed first to Al-Amin Hospital near AK Khan Mor, then to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His brother Sagar Das described the attack as premeditated, linked to prior extortion disputes, and the family is preparing to file a murder case, demanding swift arrests and a thorough investigation. Pahartali Police visited the scene and hospital, promising formal action upon FIR registration.
In a separate early Thursday morning incident (February 26) in Chandanaish upazila’s Badurpara (Hindupara) area, Ward No. 1, 70-year-old Chandan Dey (also reported as Chandan Kanti De or Chandan De) was shot dead while resisting cattle thieves. Around 4:45am, 5-10 armed men arrived in a microbus, targeting local cattle sheds. They first stole cows from a neighbour, then cut through tin walls to access Chandan’s cowshed.
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When he emerged to alert neighbours and resist, the intruders fired, killing him on the spot in front of his wife before fleeing with three more cows. Police recovered the body, sent it for autopsy at Chattogram Medical College morgue, and are awaiting a formal complaint from the family to proceed. Local councillor Md. Shahed confirmed the incident, while Chandanaish OC Mohammad Elias Khan assured legal steps.
The event has spread panic and anger in the Hindu-majority locality, with residents demanding immediate arrests and harsh punishment.
Adding to the pattern, in Kurigram’s Rajarhat upazila (Joydeb Malsabari village), 60-62-year-old Madhu Chandra Shil died on January 26, 2026, following a long-standing land boundary dispute with neighbour Abed Ali’s family.
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The family has alleged that during an argument over tree planting on disputed land, Shil was pushed, fell, and sustained fatal injuries. He was declared dead at Kurigram General Hospital. Police arrested Ashraf Ali (Abed’s son) and are investigating it as a serious criminal offense, though the incident has fueled debates on whether such killings stem from communal targeting or purely civil disputes.
Senior journalist and political analyst Probir Kumar Sarker observes that these deaths come amid a disturbing surge in anti-Hindu violence since late 2025, including the horrific December lynching and burning of garment worker Dipu Chandra Das over unsubstantiated blasphemy allegationsโa case that shocked the nation and drew international condemnation.
Reports from minority advocacy groups and media indicate over 20 Hindu fatalities in targeted attacks in recent months, often linked to extortion, land grabs, false accusations, or mob vigilantism. Even as political transitions occur, the pattern persists, raising alarms that minorities remain “easy targets” for criminal elements exploiting impunity.
The Hindu community in these areas lives in heightened fear, with families grieving sole breadwinners or elderly protectors. Such recurrent tragedies underscore the urgent need for robust law enforcement, impartial investigations, swift justice, and measures to dismantle extortion rackets and land mafias that disproportionately prey on vulnerable groups. Authorities must act decisively to restore security and demonstrate that no community is expendableโfailure to do so risks further eroding trust and stability. Condolences to the bereaved families; may the perpetrators face exemplary punishment, and may such senseless losses cease.
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